Category Archives: Biological Dentistry

Biological Dentistry with Dr. Marilyn K. Jones DDS is a one of a kind dental practice in Houston.

As true holistic dentists we perform dentistry that is good for the body as well as the teeth and gums.

The true differences between holistic dentistry and traditional dentistry is philosophical: traditional dentistry is the practice of treating the symptoms in the teeth and gums and attempting to prevent such problems from reoccurring. Holistic dentistry is the practice of treating the underlying problems that cause symptoms in the mouth, attempting to eliminate those problems (and, hence, preventing the symptoms from recurring) while ensuring the work done in the mouth does not have an adverse affect on your overall health.

Studies have concluded a link between gum disease and heart health, diabetes, and pregnancies. However, many dentists are not trained in the long term effects of what dentistry does (or could possibly do) to the whole body. We educate our patients on the importance of overall health and how dentistry can play a role in the overall health. We place emphasis on a more natural or holistic approach to dentistry in order to support total health and ensure the best long term results.

With a unique approach to dentistry, we customize our approach to your biological needs, placing priority on education and long term health. Doctor Marilyn K. Jones DDS primary focus is on ensuring that toxins from prior dental work is safely removed and properly replace with superior products that are biologically compatible, strong, aesthetically pleasing, long lasting and promote ideal, lasting results.

Integrative Medicine and Whole Body Wellness.

Integrative Medicine is not a new practice but more of a merging of traditional Western Medicine and more nontraditional methods of medicine such as acupuncture. In a recent article from Kurir Magazine the effectiveness and principles are outlined and explained. Dr. Momir Dunjic a gynecologist in Belgrade contributed to and provided the information discussed in the article. He is the president of the European Integrative Medicine Congress and Assoc. Prof. of Gynecology & Obstetrics at the School of Medicine Pristina, Serbia.

“…- We forgot that if some lifestyle and environment caused the disease, then we have to teach that patient that they must change those circumstances, because they will not be saved from their disease by returning to the same environment and the same way of life as before.”

Perfect Habits, Perfect Brushing, Perfect Smiles

Teaching kids, when they are young, to develop good brushing habits is time well invested. Removing the biofilm–daily–on teeth and oral surfaces, can lead to a lifetime of benefits, dental health being at the top of that list.

Forming positive habits can be a very natural, easy process with young children. Starting from the time they are infants, small children want to emulate their parents and those around them. Make brushing a family social event. Mom’s and dad’s who brush with their little ones around are sending a positive message that brushing is fun and easy.

Self Esteem Years Down the Road

Studies show people form an opinion about who you are in a matter of minutes and that one of the key factors in that judgment happens to be your smile. What a valuable gift to help teach your children a lifelong, healthy habit that will continue to benefit them in a multitude of ways. Daily brushing ultimately reduces the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, improves long term overall health, and will ultimately reduce long-range cost associated with dental care, plus healthy, clean teeth just look really great!

Incentives

Children between three and four who are still working on good brushing habits still benefit from seeing you carry out your daily brushing but they are also easily influenced with a little incentivizing. Consider an extra story at night when they brush on their own. Even simple sticker charts for a week to five days in a row with a small prize at the end. Some ideas that might work in your family could be a sticker collection to add to, matchbox cars, hair ties or clips, special socks with favorite cartoon character, coloring pages or books, small puzzles, even a picking out a balloon when age appropriate and supervision are possible, maybe three minutes of screen time per brush works for your family. Find what works and fits into your family’s routine and natural routines.

Mother And Daughter Putting Star On Reward Chart

Children bigger and older start having more dexterity and can do most of their brushing unassisted while younger kids may need you to follow behind them. Older kids can also be taught to run their tongue on the surface of teeth to check for spots they missed. Clean teeth should feel slick and smooth with no rough areas. By kindergarten children can be well on their way to initiating brushing all on their own. Keeping a brushing chart can help with stickers or a pen to add stars or checks when kids complete their morning and nighttime brushing. Though incentives can be helpful, by this age kids are also able to grasp concepts about their health and getting rid of germs that make cavities. Incentives, if needed, may only need implementing for good check-ups.

Keep a Running List of Ideas

These are just ideas intended to help increase brushing compliance in the entire household. Perhaps you will find that it’s helpful to change things up and stay creative. With some fortune you’ve found something useful here or you’re inspired or re-inspired with another tactic to help get brushing to be your kids new favorite habit. It’s worth the effort, the dividend will payout over an entire lifetime.

Twice yearly check-ups go hand in hand with perfect brushing habits and will help keep everyone in the family on track and ready to address problem areas often before decay encroaches. Give us a call today for questions or appointments.

The effects of longterm exposure to metal can begin to add up over time.

Metal in Dental Restorations; Slow Poison

Metals in dental restorations have a potential link to overall health inadequacies and compromised immune systems in sensitive individuals. Multiple studies have now demonstrated there may be a correlation with metal sensitivities and a battery of autoimmune diseases along with several processes that are critical in running the bodies delicately balanced endocrine system. Ultimately this may affect the thyroid, pancreas, and other critical hormone systems.

Symptoms to metal implants can vary from patient to patient and often include an oral burning sensation, general fatigue, skin rashes, a constant dull pain and in some cases loss of the implant. A paper published in July of 2011focused on titanium allergy in patients who have undergone an implant, and it concluded in part; “This review of the literature indicates that titanium can induce hypersensitivity in susceptible patients and could play a critical role in implant failure.”

Who Cares

What impact if any will metals have on you? No one can say for certain. Even those with existing metal components in their mouth risk that there will be a tipping point. When the level of absorbed metal becomes more than the immune system will tolerate. Time can also be a factor. As time passes more and more ions can be absorbed so that the effects of metal toxins do not present for many years.

There Are Great New Options

ceramics used in dental implants are non-metallic and white throughout

With Zirconium, or all ceramic implants, there is never a risk of being slowly poisoned. Ceramic dental implants do not corrode. They will not absorb or dissolve in any way and there’s no need to consider long term replacements as they can last a lifetime with the same regular hygiene your natural teeth need.

Call today for a consult and to learn more about your choices and about implants that are customized to benefit your long term health.

Clean Teeth: Happy Heart …

Whole Body Health is influenced by good oral health.

And that’s just the start. Procrastination with your dental care leads to the inevitable; heart disease, liver disease and impaired immune function, and of course, tooth loss. While loosing teeth might be the expected outcome of skipping dental cleanings and regular check-ups the rest of that statement may seem somewhat unexpected even dramatic. However microbial research indicates just that, showing that your overall health is definitely linked to your oral health. Has it been more than six months since your last dental checkup and teeth cleaning? You might be putting yourself at an elevated risk for other, unnecessary, physical ailments.

Science Proves What Has Long Been Suspected

Doctors and dentists alike have long suspected that not only does a mouth full of decay and germs perpetuate further infection, spreading to nearby tissues, but also that those same microbes and bacteria infiltrate the entire body and spread through the bloodstream. Now key research is showing that, in fact even preventative hygiene can introduce bacteria and toxins from bacterial colonies into the blood.

Since the 1900’s research has been studying the potential for systemic infection originating from the mouth. As science has advanced and studies and techniques have become more precise the presumption has gone from being a logical potential to an explicit fact, the mouth can indeed, be a source of dissemination or distribution of pathogenic organisms to the rest of the body, including vital organs like the heart, lungs, and brain, even the vascular system can suffer specific disease processes that may originate from infection in the oral cavity.

…At Even Higher Risk…

A patient suffering from chronic or severe periodontal disease and who is compromised already–has a malignancy (cancer), diabetes, or an immunosuppressive disease or treatment–will be at an even higher risks for suffering disease processes stemming from the spread of toxins and bacteria that originated in the oral cavity due to an existing periodontal disease or infection.

Why The Overall Impact Becomes So Significant

Plaque deposits can harber billions of microorganisms and bacteria even in very small areas.

Every other living tissue inside and outside of the body is constantly growing new cells, and shedding old ones, even bones grow and change density through-out a lifetime. Our Skin, hair and nails, are in a constant state of repair but teeth are made to last a lifetime and do not regenerate from wear or damage. As a result we expect teeth to be more susceptible to wear and tear and ageing, but the often overlooked consequence that bacterial colonies have a permanent surface that they can colonize and cling to indefinitely unless proactive measures are implemented tends to get missed. This means, in short, that in addition to brushing and flossing, regular, routine bi-annual cleanings and annual check-ups should not be skipped over, de-prioritized or neglected. Routine cleanings prevent tartar and calculus build-ups (plaque can generate more than 100,000,000,000 microorganisms per mg!) that are largely responsible for periodontal disease and for the systemic transmission, the spreading of, and cause of oral bactermia throughout the body.

Have more than six months past since your last teeth cleaning? Has it been longer than a year since you had a check-up? You might be putting yourself at an elevated risk for something worse than just a cavity. Call today, better late than never!

Real Risks Associated with Mercury Poisoning and Exposure

Chronic, long term, exposure to trace amounts of mercury can lead to mercury poisoning and buildup

Toxic Mercury. one of the metal components of traditional silver fillings

in the body over time; after removing the exposure, it may take months or even years for the body to eliminate excess mercury. Overexposure can lead to kidney damage and/or mercury poisoning, leading to ‘shakes’ (ex: shaky handwriting), irritability, sore gums, increased saliva, metallic taste, loss of appetite, memory loss, personality changes, and brain damage. Most commonly associated mercury poisoning symptoms can be pain, burning or itching in the skin or even the gums, changes in skin color, loss of memory emotional impairment, even insomnia.

Sources of Mercury Poisoning

Significant sources of mercury poisoning and exposure commonly come from contaminated fish, soil or water with high mercury levels, air pollution (particularly from power plant emissions and coal mines,) exposure to mercury vapor from dental amalgam fillings, improper disposal of mercury containing products such as fluorescent lights. Less common, but significant, sources of exposure to mercury and mercury poisoning come from cement production, gold and steel production, coal mining, and other industrial operations and waste.

Why Amalgam Fillings Persist

Admittedly mercury amalgam fillings are inexpensive and easy to work with, the ADA has approved them, they are durable and reliable and dentist are familiar with the procedure. Amalgam can last for years, is resistant to corrosion and tolerant to many conditions inside the mouth. Options, in dentistry, to use other materials have been available for several decades still, because of its cost and ease of application, mercury use in dentistry is pervasive with change coming slowly.

Mercury Amalgam Filling

Yet more and more states (and some countries) adopt policy to encourage reduction of amalgam fillings and our federal government continues to review and encourage reduction in mercury alloys. The public is becoming ever more educated in the adverse effects of mercury and risks of mercury poisoning, and no reasonable arguments can state that mercury is not a dangerous toxin, the risk to children and infants even greater than the risk posed to adults.

Cummulative Effects of Mercury

Like an iceberg, much of the danger associated with mercury is unseen until the risk has become unavoidable

Environmentally the risks of mercury poisoning grows as the population grows. As bad as mercury may be for one individualthe direct correlation can be seen as a domino effect of ever increasing risk of exposure and environmental mercury poisoning.

Communities routinely face challenges from mercury detected in municipal water supplies, soil and farm lands are testing positive for mercury levels that are concerning and the oceans fish are always exposed to higher and higher levels of mercury. All of which put each of us at an individually increased risk for low, moderate or even high risks of mercury poisoning.

What To Consider

An individual with multiple existing silver fillings (mercury containing, amalgam) will have a higher exposure to toxic mercury than those with few or no amalgam fillings. There are options for reducing individual risks. A trained and qualified dentist can remove the amalgam fillings and with proper instruments, and ventilation equipment, keep your risk and the risk to the environment and dental office at the lowest possible level.

One of the options for amalgam replacement uses and ultraviolet light to “set” the restoration permanently in place

Dr. Marilyn K Jones DDS is qualified and her staff trained to properly and safely eliminate your amalgam fillings and provided safe, long lasting, and strong restorations to your teeth. Please call or contact them today for an appointment.

Dental Gold Standard in Restoration

The gold standard in dental tooth restoration, no one denies that implants are a dentist first choice in replacing a missing tooth or even multiple teeth. With clear advantages over bridges, dentures and other restoration options, permanent implants offer unparalleled performance with regards to all facets of oral health. Permanent implants support adjacent teeth, living bone, and help maintain proper tooth alignment, inevitably helping to keep the entire mouth health.

In the world of dental implants there are two classes or types of tooth restoration: Metal and non-metal. Implants initially were metal but with the advent of technological breakthroughs, all ceramic implants have proven to be superior in virtually all regards. All ceramic dental implants are as strong as their metal counterparts, they are bioinert, resistant to bacterial colonies, there’s no chance of conducting hot or cold, and unlike metal ceramic cannot react to radio waves, microwaves, or electricity. Perhaps most comforting is that ceramic dental implants will never corrode, cause dental tattoos, or leach into your circulatory system or tissue.

What Exactly Are Ceramic Implants Made From

Calling implants ceramic may sound as though they are fragile when the fact is, zirconium ceramic is just about as strong as titanium, one of the worlds hardest metals. In fact zirconium, a man made element, is right next to titanium on the periodic table. Titanium is in fact what zirconium, dental ceramics, is made from. Named zirconium dioxide, the material that makes up a ceramic implant is entirely different material than the metal it is derived from.

ceramics used in dental implants are non-metallic and white throughout

Just as you would not call a fist full of rust “iron” or you would not call salt a metal, but Sodium is a metal. Zirconium dioxide is a crystalline version, chemically owning two additional oxygen molecules than its metal cousin. Thankfully zirconium dioxide is not rust or salt, just a couple of examples on how intricate and intimate the chemistry world is. Small differences in molecular combinations mean the properties of a material can be drastically different from their purest form.

The Rest Of The Story

Though ceramic may seem like a new technology it literally has been in use for decades. Surgeons, have been using ceramics to repair bones, and joints for close to half a century. Often referred to as bioceramics, ceramics used in medical procedures are a type of “advanced ceramic” specifically engineered to be bio-inert or non reactive to the human body.

Zirconium oxide and the bio-ceramics derived from it are unique. In the dental field full ceramic implants mean no longer settling for an aloy your body may eventually attack or reject. No longer resigned to a smile that looks anything but natural with less risk of fractures and splintering.

We have mastered the art of restoring perfect smiles. We have the expertise, training and equipment to safely give you the best care, the Gold Standard. Call us today.

Changing Times: Amalgam Alternatives On The Rise

Embraced for over 100 years as dentists number one choice for repairing dental cavities and

Mercury Amalgam fillings often found in molars and less conspicuous teeth.

decaying teeth, amalgam (silver) fillings are often overlooked as a source of toxic waste. Though controversy has long surrounded the use of such filings (that employ the use of toxic mercury along with other metals to form a soft alloy) the industry has been slow to change. Primarily reluctance to change can be directly linked to cost versus availability, and durability. Those arguments are quickly losing credibility with the advent of new technology and safer methods.

Increasing Number of Amalgam Alternatives

Initially amalgam alternatives were not suitable for large cavities, were not widely available and sometimes were not as resilient to wear and tear. Today however, besides composite resins, there are several materials available for restoring a tooth with decay. Options that are strong, resilient,

The aesthetic restoration of a lower molar tooth with dental amalgam alternatives.

beautiful and totally bio-inert, or will not leach toxins, into the body. As education and choices become optimized dentist are gradually using better practices and safer materials to restore teeth.

The U.S. Lagging in Safety Standards

Considering that currently a handful of countries have banned the use of dental amalgam fillings including: Denmark, Sweden and Norway and that countries like Canada, Italy and Australia have all implemented steps to greatly reduce the use of amalgam while 47 other countries have signed an initiative calling for the restriction and eventual prohibition of dental amalgam fillings, the conclusion can be made that dental amalgams time has come and gone.

While not all countries or dentists have committed to getting rid of amalgam entirely there are a growing number of dentists who no longer offer silver filings. Many of whom are trained and equipped to safely remove old silver fillings and replace them with safer, more natural looking and often stronger options.

Dental Amalgam fillings, world wide, are the number one cause linked to toxic mercury found in water supplies. Amalgam fillings have been linked to a number of adverse health conditions from dementia to arthritis and mercury is definitivly known to negatively affect the neurologic system causing birth defects and mental deficiency, especially in children. While amalgam has not yet been banned in the United States there is clear evidence that exposure to the alloy poses a much higher risk than amalgam alternatives, which are primarily bio-inert, options. Proving that mercury alloys and dental amalgam should be avoided altogether.

Our Commitment to Your Health and Safety

At Marilyn K. Jones DDS. we are trained to use special techniques and tools to keep you safe while removing and replacing existing dental amalgam fillings with safer, better alternatives. Please contact our team to set up a consultation and appointment today.

Tooth Sensitivity

Sharp or subtle, when teeth become sensitive to the foods you eat or drink, even the activity of your day it affects your quality of life. It also may be affecting your health. A variety of circumstances can lead to tooth sensitivity, all of them indicating that its time to do something different. From serious likelihood of infection to simple remineralization this article can help you determine what actions to start with.

Teeth Are Alive

Teeth are alive, each tooth with it’s own nutrifying blood source, it’s own dedicated nerve and a living ligament to keep it anchored into the jaw bone. For this reason each tooth has the potential to cause you a significant amount of pain if something goes amiss. Think of tooth sensitivity as a red flag, a warning signal, your teeth’s way to communicate with the rest of the body when something is wrong.

Your teeth have several defenses to the help protect and keep them healthy. Below the gum line there is the periodontal ligament and the jawbone, these, paired with the gums themselves are essential to keeping teeth healthy, and alive. They provide protection, ensure healthy blood supply and encapsulate over half of the tooth to provide strength and leverage for chewing and biting. That slippery stuff known as saliva plays another huge role in keeping teeth clean, healthy, strong and alive. Then there is the layer of enamel on the outside of the tooth, enamel also provides strength and bears the burden of being the last line of defense. The stronger your enamel the better teeth can fend off attacks from bacteria and decay, enamel even buffers the effects wear and tear.

A Variety of Causes For Tooth Sensitivity

Triggering tooth sensitivity with a sip of a hot drink, a bite of cold ice cream, sometimes just breathing in fresh air or biting into something sweet is no fun, while getting at the cause can be a bit tricky, many people find it reassuring that tooth sensitivity is fixable. Here are some of the most common related types of tooth sensitivity:

Sinus problems can make teeth hurt, ache or become sensitive. Pressure in the maxillary sinus just above the jaw bone can push down into the jaw bone and surrounding nerves causing inflammation in surrounding tissues, including the nerve tissues of your teeth.

Orthodontic work can also make teeth ache, and become sensitive as the teeth and periodontal ligaments are adjusted to their proper alignment.

While the previous causes of tooth sensitivity may not require the attention of your dentist, the next few warrant a call and an appointment as soon as possible

Infections in the root of a tooth also make teeth hypersensitive to sensation, including hot, cold, sweet and sour, you may not be able to see anything wrong on the tooth or in the mouth.

Abscesses and periodontal infections tend to be associated with a lot of pain, not just sensitivity to hot or cold. There can, however be just deep sensitivity, especially at the initial onset of infection.

Cavities. or decay in the tooth itself, can cause tooth sensitivity especially when a cavity is still new and has not fully infected the root.

Injury, in the instance of a broken tooth or a tooth loosened from trauma, may allow surrounding tissues to become inflamed. The nerve or nerves (if several nearby teeth are also disturbed) become over stimulated and begin sending alarms to the brain that things are in need of repair.

teeth grinding or bruxism can cause localized sensitivity or even pain. Clenching or grinding the teeth–usually at night or while sleeping–can crack, fracture or even break teeth. The cracks and fissures can cause sensitivity as the enamel can no longer properly protect the nerve inside the tooth. Because of the irregular bite and tooth alignment in some mouths, it is possible to have one area of the mouth affected more than other parts of the mouth.

Failing dental work. If you have fillings, bridges, crowns or other dental work and the teeth involved or surrounding teeth are sensitive or hurting it could mean your dental work is failing.

So far all of the circumstances we have covered are situations that you may have little control to “fixing” by yourself. While there may be a few other causes of tooth sensitivity the ones in this article are the most typical and the last reason is, by far, one of the most common. Thankfully it is one that you can improve the symptoms of, even sometimes eliminating tooth sensitivity all together.

Sensitive Teeth

Thin, weak, and worn out tooth enamel is the most common cause of sensitive teeth. Your teeth are formed with a dense, strong coating of enamel. As you age, chewing, various foods, and the things you drink wear down and even soften the enamel making it thinner and more porous. Thereby allowing the delicate nerve inside to be over stimulated. Dentist once believed that there was very little to do if tooth enamel began to fail. Modern dentistry has better been able to definitively determine factors that can aid in remineralization of enamel weakened or worn out.

Oil pulling can increase the enamels ability to absorb good minerals and improve the natural balance of your saliva while reducing pathogens.

Homemade toothpaste, the best of which employ added minerals, can not only whiten teeth but add needed minerals to reinforce and help fill in overly porous enamel, eventually leading to diminished tooth sensitivity.

For more information on tooth sensitivity click on the links throughout the article or call our office to talk with a specialist today. At Marilyn K Jones Dentisty, we have the skills, experience, and expertise you need to ensure a healthy mouth and teeth. Call or visit today: Marilyn K Jones DDS, (713).785.7767 and at mjones@hal-pc.org.

How Great They Look

As a patient, you have a choice when it comes to replacing a tooth–from prostheses and bridges to permanent dental implants, options abound. For most patients and doctors, implants top the list. Why? In addition to their functional benefits, implants are also practical, durable, and much more pleasing aesthetically.

At our office with Dr Marilyn K Jones DDS, we prefer ceramic implants, also known as zirconium or zirconia, and their use is outpacing other options for tooth replacement at an exponential rate.

The Latest Science and Medicine Have to Offer

The material used in the latest version of implants is zirconia, a ceramic that is extruded from Zirconium, is biologically inert in the human body and has a high tensile strength (meaning it is very strong). But what makes the difference for many patients is the aesthetics: zirconia implants are considered the most realistic looking tooth replacement option available on the market. And let’s face it: we all want our teeth to look good

Like Real Teeth in Look Feel and Function

ceramics used in dental implants are non-metallic and white throughout

Since ceramics entered the dental implant scene doctors can suddenly so closely match the look and feel of natural teeth, that they immediately lend a sense of confidence to the patient. There is no denture to mess with, no embarrassing creams or gels, and no speech issues associated with tooth loss and tooth replacement that are often associated with dentures or other prostheses. There are no restrictions on diet and eating habits, no risk of losing the implant or damaging it while eating. The recipient of a ceramic dental implant also reduces the chance of bone loss in the jaw resulting in the potential of additional dental issues and a diminished jaw-line.

While the option to use metal implant post, made from titanium, stainless steel or other alloys, for permanent implants can still be performed, this option has aesthetic drawbacks. Metal posts were the traditional material used in implants for decades, but they leave a silver-grey color along the gumline, making it obvious that your tooth has been replaced. White implants made from zirconia don’t have that issue: not only are they the same color as your teeth, they actually promote soft tissue growth, meaning that the chance of receding gums are reduced, as well. With metal implants, the gums can’t grow properly, leading to a distinguishable line at base of the new tooth. Even if you experience slight gum loss with ceramic implants, there will never be a dark metallic line visible at the gum line because the implant is white throughout.

Zirconia, ceramic implants are virtually indistinguishable from real teeth, they do not absorb stains from food or discolor over time. Ceramic implants can last a lifetime and retain their shape and color for the duration. They can be used for one or a few missing teeth or to anchor other prostheses when appropriate. They are bioinert and will not absorb odor, resist plaque, and are as easy to maintain as real teeth.

Implants are permanent: make sure you find a skilled, experienced doctor to place one. At Marilyn K Jones Dentisty, we have the skills, experience, and expertise you need to ensure a healthy, natural, functional tooth replacement. Call or visit today: Marilyn K Jones DDS, (713).785.7767 and at mjones@hal-pc.org.